The Stumble Cast on Combining Comedy with Cheerleading, Cast Friendships and Making a Mockumentary

The Stumble Cast on Combining Comedy with Cheerleading

I stepped onto the set of Stumble, a new NBC mockumentary exploring the world of competitive junior college cheerleading. The energy on the Brooklyn soundstage was electric, with a full-scale replica of a college gym bringing the story to life.

Words: Lauren O’Neill | Photography and Creative Direction: Lewis Vorn | Videographer: Marie Koury | Makeup: Anissa, Arianna, Mikey Clifton, Georgie, Taylor, Erin Acker | Hair: Taylor - Michael Zambrano, Anissa and Georgie - Beth Rolon, Arianna - Gayette Williams | Styling: Georgie solos - Zoe Gofman, Arianna solos - Venetia Kidd, Anissa solos - Marissa Pelly, Cheer costumes - Leah Katznelson and Angel Peart

Cheerleading in the Spotlight

By 2025, a series like Stumble feels overdue. Audiences have increasingly turned their attention to the athletic, competitive, and emotional sides of professional cheerleading. The genre’s momentum has been building for years, with pop culture pulling back the curtain on a sport once seen through stereotypes.

“Since 2020, when the first season of Netflix’s Cheer arrived on screens and became a global phenomenon, cheer culture has gradually inched its way into the mainstream.”

Netflix sustained that enthusiasm with another major project, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders documentary America’s Sweethearts. Both productions focused on real personalities behind the performances, reimagining the cheerleader narrative beyond the one-dimensional high school cliché.

Author’s Summary

The mockumentary Stumble captures the evolving perception of cheerleading, blending humor and authenticity to reflect how modern audiences now celebrate the sport’s complexity.

Polyester Zine — 2025-11-07